Holder for glass jars



Feh L '1944 J. KIPPER K g@ HOLDER FOR GLASS JARS Filed May 26, 1941 INVENTOR A ITORNEY Patented Feb. 1, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOLDER FOR GLASS JARS Joseph Kipper, Seattle, Wash. Application May 2,6,r 1941, Serial No. 395,225

(Cl. ill- 3.32)

5 Claims.

This invention relates to jar holding devices and the object of this invention is to provide a simple and efficient jar holding device for use chiefly in homes to hold glass jars while the caps thereof are being applied to the jars or removed therefrom.

In the home canning of fruits and vegetables i glass jars with screw caps are ordinarily used. It

is usually necessary to apply the screw caps to the jars by hand while the jars are hot and this work is usually done by women. It is difficult for a person to hold a hot jar and, at the saine time, apply and tighten a screw cap on the jar. This often results in the caps being left too loose on the jars and the food in the jars spoiling. Also the capping of the jars is hard work for the person doing the canning and sometimes results in burned hands and sprained hands and wrists.

It is an object of my invention to overcome these diiculties by providing a simple and eilicient device for holding the glass jars while the screw caps are being applied thereto thus leav` ing the operator free to use both hands on the cap if it is necessary to do so.

Other objects of my invention are to provide a jar holding device which is simple and inexpensive in construction, efficient in operation, adjustable to jars of all of the diierent sizes ordinarily used in home canning, and one that is easy to operate and that will not break or damage the jars.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a plan View of a jar holder constructed in accordance with this invention showing the parts thereof in a jar clamping position.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same taken substantially on broken line 2--2 of Fig. 1, showing by full lines the jaw parts in a clamping position and by dot and dash lines the same jaw parts in a retracted position, a fragment of" a jar being shown.

Fig. 3 is a view in cross section taken substantially on broken line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of a clamp member used for clamping this jar holder to a table.

Like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views.

In the drawing lil designates a base plate preferably rounded at one end and tapered to a narrower width at the other end.

The rounded end of the base plate I0 is pro--` for Cooperation with the fixed member.

vided with an upwardly extending flange I I hav ing a pad I2, preferably of rubber, provided on the front side thereof. Preferably the jaw member II has holes I3 therein and the pad I2 has integral lugs I4 thereon that extend through the holes I3 and t tightly in said holes I3 and secure the pad I2 to the jaw member Il. Preferably the jaw member II is curved and of substantial length as shown in Fig. 1.

The medial portion of the base plate IS is provided with a longitudinally extending guide slot I5 preferably of keyhole shape.

The narrower end portion of the base plate lli is provided with two longitudinally extending spaced apart flanges IB that have hook shaped notches Il provided therein. The notches Il are arranged in pairs transversely of the flanges I6, I have shown three pairs of these notches to thereby provide for adjustments suicient to take care of pint, quart and half gallon jars but it will be understood that more pairs of notches may be provided if desired. Preferably the flanges I6 are formed by stamping them out of the plate Il).

Preferably the marginal portions of the base plate I0 are bent inwardly as shown in Fig. 3, to provide marginal supporting portions i3 that rest on a support such as a table 34 and support the plate I0 a short distance above the table. A similar support la is preferably provided `adjacent the jaw member II and transversely of the plate IIl by stamping and bending the same out of said plate I 0.

A movable one piece jaw memberfis provided This movable jaw member preferably comprises a curved jaw part 28, a bottom portion 2l, rear wall portions 22 and rearwardly extending ear portions 23.

A guide rivet 24 is rigidly secured within the bottom `portion ZI and adapted to be slidably guided within the slot I5. A head 25 on the rivet 24 is normally adapted to operate below. the plate I 0. The diameterof the head 25 is greater than the width of the narrower portion of the slot I5 but said head 25 can be, passed through the larger opening at one end portion of said slot in applying the movable jaw to the plate II or in removing the same from said `plate II. A pad 26 similar to the pad I2 is secured to the movable jaw part 20.

The ear portions 23 of the movable. jaw member are connected by pivot means 2'! with a lever 28 which is preferably of channel shaped cross section as shown in Fig. 3.

The lever 28 has holes 29 for pivotally receiving the inwardly bent end portions 30 of a substantially U shaped link 3|.

A transverse bar 32 at the outer end of the U shaped link 3| is adapted to iit within the notches Il in the flanges I6.

The notches I1 are undercut at their forward sides to leave overhanging hoo-k like portions I1 beneath which the bar 32 engages when the clamp means'is in released or unclamped position. This arrangement prevents the bar 32 from becoming disengaged from the notches Il in which it is positioned when the lever 28 is moved from the clamping position, shown by full lines in Fig. 2, to an unclamped position as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2. Obviously there will be a tendency to lift the bar 32 out of the notches l1 when the lever 28 is thus moved to retract the movable jaw.

These hook shaped notches also help to prevent accidental disengagement of the bar 32 from the notches l 'Iwhen the device is being handled.v

. Preferably a stop member 33 is secured to the lever 28 and adapted to engage with the bar member 32 to limit the downward movement ofV the lever 28 when the device is in clamping engagement with a jar 4i).

Preferably the device will be fastened to a support such as a table or shelf 34 when it is to be used. To facilitate this I preferably provide in the plate lll a plurality of screw holes 35 and two clamp receiving holes 36. If the .device is to be permanently secured to a table or shelf 34 this may be done by inserting screws in the screw holes 35. If the device is to be temporarily secured to a table or shelf 3a then preferably a clamp member 33, Fig. 4, is used. The clamp member 36 preferably has two arms 31 on one side thereof provided with lugs 38 adapted to fitwithin the holes Sii and securely hold the plate lll when a clamp screw 39 is tightened against the bottom side of the table or shelf 34.

In-the use of this device the lever 28 is raised to retract the movable jaw and a glass jar 4D that is to be held against turning while a cap is being applied thereto or removed therefrom is placed on the plate l@ between the pads l2 and 26 on the two jaws. The lever 28 is then pressed down into the position shown by full lines in Fig. 2, thereby rmly pressing the movable jaw member against the jar and securely clamping said jar.

As the lever 23 is moved downwardly and just before the stop member 33 engages the cross bar 32 the axis of the pivoted ends 3i] of the links 3l passes center, i. e. it passes below a straight line extending between the centers of pivot 2'! and bar 3,2. This locks the movable jaw in clamped position and the lever 28 must be raised in order to release it.

The link member 3l and that portion of the lever arm 28 between the holes 29 and pivot 21 function as toggle links and provide a powerful leverage when the movable jaw member is being clamped. against a jar. Also they lock the movable jaw member in a clamped position when these toggle link members have been moved past Obviously changes in the structure and arrangement of parts of my invention may be made within the scope and spirit of the following claims.

Having described my invention what I claim is:

1. A holder for cylindrical jars, comprising a base plate, an upturned flange at one end portion of said base plate forming a xed jar holding jaw; a longitudinal slot in said base plate, a movable jaw member, a guide lug on said movable jaw member guided for movement in said slot; a head on said guide lug operable below said base plate holding said movable jaw member down on said base plate; ange means rigid with said base plate and extending upwardly therefrom in alignment with said slot, a lever pivotally connected with pivotally connected with said lever; and notches in said iiange means adjustably receiving the other end portion of said link.

2. A holder for cylindrical jars, comprising a base plate, an upturned flange at one end portion of said base plate forming a fixed jar holding jaw; a longitudinal slot Vin said base plate, a movable jaw member, a guide lug on said movable jaw member guided for movement in said slot; flange means integral with said base plate and extending upwardly therefrom in alignment with said slot, a le er pivotally connected with said movable jaw, a link having one end portion pivotally connected with said lever; and hoo-k shaped notches in said ange means for adjustably receiving the other end portion of said link, said link and said lever cooperating to provide self locking toggle means, and said hook shaped notches retaining engagement with said link when said lever is moved into released position.

3. A holder for cylindrical jars, comprising a base plate, an upturned ilange at one end portion of said base plate forming a xed jar holding jaw; a longitudinal slot in said base plate, a movable jaw member, a guide lug on said movable jaw member guided for movement in said slot; two spaced apart flanges integral with said base plate and extending upwardly therefrom in alignment with said slot, a lever pivotally connected with said movable jaw; a substantially U shaped'link having a bar member at one end; substantially hook shaped notches in said anges adapted to adjustably receive'said bar member and retain said bar member against accidental displacement; and pivot means connecting the forward end portions oi said U shaped link member with said lever, said lever and said link providing self locking toggle means for'exerting a clamping pressure on said movable jaw and holding the same in clamped position.

4. In a holder for cylindrical jars, a base plate whereona jar that is to be clamped and held may be placed; an upright jar holding jaw xed to one end portion of said base plate; another jar holding jaw spaced from said fixed jaw and guided for movement on said base plate; two spaced apart flanges rigid with said base plate and extending upwardly therefrom; a'lever pivotally connected with said movable jaw; asubstantially U shaped link having one end portion pivotally connected with said lever and having a cross bar at its other end portion; notches in said ange adapted to receive said cross bar portion of said link; and a stop member on said lever positioned to engage said cross bar portion of said link member when said lever is in locking position,

5. A jar clamp comprising a base member adapted to support jars; anupwardly protruding fixed jar holding jaw on said base member; a

resilient pad on said fixed jar holding jaw; a movable jar holding jaw on said base member; a resilient pad on said movable jaw; means guiding said movable jaw for movement on said base member toward and away from said fixed jaw; a lever pivotally connected with said movable jaw; a link member having one end portion pivotally connected with said lever, said link and said lever constituting toggle means adapted to move said movable jaw and to lock the same in clamped engagement with a jar; and a plurality of spaced apart link engaging devices on said base member positioned for engagement with the other end portion of said link member and adapted to provide adjustment of said link member to accommodate jars of different size.

JOSEPH KIPPER. 

